AMMAN
— The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, represented by Patriarch Theophilos III, the
Patriarch of Jerusalem, along the Holy Synod and the Brotherhood of the Holy
Sepulchre, and the clergy, said they condemn the “terrorist attack that took
place this morning during the Sunday service, at the hands of two Israeli
radicals, which targeted the
Church of Gethsemane in Jerusalem”, on their
website.
اضافة اعلان
The Church
of Gethsemane in Jerusalem is where the
Tomb of the Virgin Mary lies, they
said, adding that the Patriarchate “denounces the attempt to cause physical
harm to Archbishop Joachim, who was leading the service, as well as the attack
on one of the priests in the church”.
‘Atrocious
crime’The
Patriarchate added that it “deplores this atrocious crime”, which came at the
time of Lent preparations for the Easter celebrations and its traditional
rituals, especially
Holy Light Saturday.
Light
Saturday, according to the statement, “has become a marker of seasonal
suffering for Christians as a result of physical restrictions imposed by the
(Israeli) authorities” to prevent them from reaching the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre to exercise their right to worship.
‘Daily
occurrence’The
Patriarchate also emphasized that terrorist attacks, by radical Israeli groups,
targeting churches, cemeteries, and Christian properties, in addition to
physical and verbal abuse against Christian clergy, have become almost a daily occurrence
that evidently increases in intensity during Christian holidays.
Despite
the frequency, the situation “hasn’t drawn any appropriate reaction, locally or
internationally, despite appeals, requests, and protests made by the Churches
of the Holy Land”, the statement said.
“It
is painfully clear now that the authentic Christian presence in the
Holy Land
is in great danger.”
Violation
of international lawThe
Patriarchate affirmed that attacks on Christian holy sites, properties,
heritage, and identity constitute a violation of international law, which
explicitly calls for the protection of religious sites in Jerusalem and
emphasizes the need to respect this basic human right to worship freely.
The
Patriarchate pointed out that Jerusalem is a city extremely important for all
Christians since the time of
Jesus Christ. “The Holy City is a witness to the
most significant events in Christian history, which are deeply rooted in the
Christian faith,” the statement said.
“These
facts reinforce
Christian connection and attachment to this city, which we as
Christians, our churches, holy sites and heritage constitute an essential
component of its diverse history, present, and future”.
“This
attack on the
Church of the Tomb of Virgin Mary in Jerusalem is an atrocious
terrorist crime that cannot be justified under any circumstances,” the
Patriarchate added.
Additional
it called upon the international community to intervene immediately to provide
security and protection to the
Christians of Jerusalem and their holy places,
including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which are being subjected to
“deplorable forms of violations and attacks at the hands of radical Israeli
organizations”.
The
Patriarchate further demanded that the necessary legal measures be taken against
all those involved in attacks against any holy site.
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